Cleaning the skin is a personal hygiene problem not always easily solved. Dry tissue products are the most commonly used cleansing products post-defecation, post-urination and during menstruation. Dry tissue products are also commonly used to remove soils, such as food and dirt, from the skin. Dry tissue products, such as those commonly used, are generally referred to as “toilet paper,” “toilet tissue,” or “paper towels.” In addition to the use of dry tissue products, it is becoming increasingly frequent to use moistened substrates, such as wet wipes, for the purpose of cleansing the face and body after soiling, and the anus, the genital area, the perinea, and the peri-anal area after the voiding of bodily exudates. So called “wet wipes” are generally a fibrous structure impregnated with a water or oil-based lotion.
For the purpose of the present document, the anus, the perinea, the perineal area and the vulvar area are all terms indicating the body area of the pelvis between, around and including the anus and the external genitalia.
Both the perineal area and the vulvar area are marked by the presence of fine folds/wrinkles (sulci) and hair follicles, both of which make these regions more difficult anatomical areas to cleanse. During defecation, fecal matter is excreted through the anus and tends to accumulate in hard to reach locations such as around the base of hairs and in the sulci of the skin's surface. During menstruation, menses may accumulate on the skin and hair after the use of a sanitary napkin. As the fecal or menstrual matter dehydrates upon exposure to air or upon contact with an absorbent implement such as tissue paper, diaper, or sanitary napkin, it adheres more tenaciously to the skin and hair. Subsequent removal of the remaining dehydrated exudates may be even more difficult and may result in inadequate cleansing. Among those negatives associated with the failure of adequate cleansing are irritation, redness, desquamation, infections, unpleasant odor, or other kinds of personal discomfort or health related issues.
People suffering from pathological conditions (such as hemorrhoids, fissures, cryptitis, etc.) are even more susceptible to the negatives listed above. Common hygienic concerns make the benefits of a good cleansing after defecation, menstruation, and urination very relevant to babies, toddlers, children and adults. Cleansing must be efficient in terms of removal of residues and gentle in terms of absence of irritation caused by the cleansing. Wet-wipes bring a response to that basic need.
In comparison to dry tissue products, wet wipes have several benefits including:                The enabling of a better lubrication during the use of the wipe, thereby reducing the abrasiveness of the cleansing operation;        The hydration of the residues, thus enhancing their removal from the skin or hair;        The hydration of the skin tissue; and        The ability to deliver a soothing or protective lotion to the skin that can remain on the skin after the cleansing operation.        
Manufacturers of wet wipes have tried to develop wipes products that deliver the right balance between normally antagonistic concepts such as:                Enhancing the removal of soil while protecting the skin from irritation and abrasion.        The long lasting feeling of comfortable cleanliness while avoiding a greasy feeling on the skin.        
A variety of methods exist that may measure the strength of adhesion between two materials and that may ascertain whether or not the strength of the adhesive interactions between the two materials may be impacted by surface treatments or other factors such as temperature or relative humidity. Many of the methods may be intended for industrial or academic applications where the materials being studied generally may be non-biological, for example metals, woods, or polymers. For example, ASTM D2919 and ASTM D3528 determine the durability of adhesive joints stressed under shear. Other methods, such as those described in Adhesion Measurements of Films and Coatings edited by K. L. Mittal published in 1995 as available from VSP Publishers, may be useful for assessing the force required to peel a material away from a surface. Again, these methods may be generally intended for non-biological materials. Thus, there is the need for a method that may assess the strength of adhesion between a material and a biological surface. There exists a need for a method that may assess the strength of adhesion between soils or exudates and the skin surface.